Dark Steven, The Greatest Foe
by randiddy
Summary: Steven has to face his greatest enemy yet! Himself!
1. A Peek Into The Future

**CHAPTER 1**

 _Fade into a shot of a rock surrounded by debris. A rat comes in from the left and begins to climb said rock. It sniffs around a little. Then it scurries on the back on a rock and over some debris of a fallen wall a little farther away._

 _Zoom out and pan up to show more destroyed and fallen buildings, some still standing but in states of disrepair. The whole place looks deserted and desolate save for a small, blue domed force-field in the distance. As it generates itself, lightning strikes many times. Zoom in on the dome._

 _Fade to a top view of the dome. Inside is a bright, futuristic looking city. There are high-rises and huge man-made canyons within the dome. Surrounding it are many small towers appearing to generate the force field._

 _A yellow, flying car is seen passing from in front of the camera and swooping around a futuristic building, on it an electronic sign that reads "Beach City" in big, white letters._

 _"BEACH CITY 12 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE!"_

 _Lapis, now older, flying over the crowd and a group of kids notice her._

 **Kids** : Hi!

 _Lapis waves back and flies toward some sort of base tower thats generating the shield and checks to see if it's still functional._

 **Older Lapis** : Gem Shield Tower 9-

 _[Cut to a screen beside the generator. It's filled with static.]_

 **Older Lapis** : 100 percent operational.

 _[On the screen, we see Peridot (also older) image resolve and she sits down. She's wearing new limb enhancers and an eyepatch.]_

 **Older Peridot** : Great Lapis. Let's check the last tower and get ba-

 _[The screen cuts to static again causing Lapis to get alarmed.]_

 **Older Lapis:** Peridot? _Peridot_?

 _[With a beep, a pair of red eyes appear on the screen.]_

 **Drawling voice** : Hello, Lapis.

 **Older Lapis** : You, again?! I don't care how powerful you are, you can't break through the shield!

 **Voice** : Until today.

 _[The red eyes widen, and a howl rings out. Lapis clamps her hands over her ears, wincing. The howl shakes the entire city. Panning across the buildings, people holding their ears and ducking down on a skywalk, windows shattering from the skyscrapers on either side. An older Kiki driving her flying car, the windshields of cars around her exploding. Back on Tower 9, Lapis half doubled-over. She gasps as the levels on the tower meter begin to drop rapidly, then the generator on top of the tower explodes. Lapis leaps from the balcony as explosions rattle down the tower, the shockwave knocking the her out of her grasp. She tumbles down through the smoke regaining control of her wings right before she crashes through a cracking window. The window explodes. Wide-eyed, Lapis comes to a stops to stare up at the still smoking shield tower. Panning over to the next tower, which also explodes. Zooming out, the ring of shield towers explode in a domino chain. The shield dissolves at the generator points and sizzles away, leaving the city exposed. Lightning strikes, people scream and run in the streets. Emergency bunker entrances with flashing red lights rise out of the streets and people race inside. Above the milling streets, Lapis looks at the cracked tower screen._

 **RedEyesGuy** : You like the new power? I call it my "Soul Wail."

 _[Scowling, Lapis is about to respond when she is distracted by a tsssew sound overhead. She looks up to see a blazing yellow blast coming at her. The impact knocks her out and she falls, coming to a crash-landing in front of the Fry Shack 2. Bruised, she opens her eyes.]_

 **Older Lapis** : You?

 _[A bright yellow haloed form swoops down, hovering above her.]_

 **Yellow Figure** : Yes, me. _[It's Yellow Pearl, arms crossed.]_ And I serve a new elite now.

 _[Lapis scrambles to her feet. The Yellow Pearl hauls back and throws another yellow crystal blast at her. Scowling, she tooks off and sweeps out of the way, the blast vaporizing the Fry Shack 2.]_

 **Older Lapis** : _[muttering]_ Gotta get to Peridot...

 _[Yellow explosions erupt around her as she zips down the street then up a building,Yellow Pearl hot on her heels. She arches up through the smoke, then disappears in a burst of speed toward Steven/Crystal Gems home. Yellow Pearl forms another yellow blast crystal, this one bigger than she is, and flings it. Lapis dodges and it impacts the temple's statue, knocking the head into the top of the roof. Lapis zips in through the hole, flying down through the house and down into the lab/burning room, where red alarm lights are flashing. Peridot is at a console; she is missing an arm as well. Lapis stops and runs to her.]_

 **Older Lapis** : Peridot, the Yellow Diamond's Former Pearl is here. Which means _he_ can't be far behind. What do we do? What do we-

 _[The Soul Wail rings out again, shaking the lab.]_

 **Older Peridot** : Lapis, run! [Her pupils getting smaller.]

 _[The red lights shut down, leaving the lab in a green dim, and they both turn to look at the Warp Pad . The ground splits open, starting at the base of the Warp Pad and zigzagging toward them, green light shining from the fissure, and a dark red-eyed figure bursts up from it dilating his pupils in a snake like fashion followed by a growl! He springs, wearing a green and black jumpsuit with a black cape, green flame blazing around him (Pyrokinesis). Lapis and Peridot shocking in horror. He lands on the shattered ground and approaches Peridot and Lapis on foot. It pans up to show that it is recognizably an older Steven, with the star logo now green, flaming white hair, green skin, fangs, his gem also dark green, and a goatee.]_

 **Evil!Steven** : Hello, Lapis & Peridot.

 _[Lapis and Peridot gapes at him.]_

 **Evil!Steven** : And goodbye. _[Raising a fist, he releases a blast out of his hand.]_

 _[Outside, the temple explode. We then zoom out to see this scene framed in a glowing ring set with gears. The scene in the ring changes to a wavering shot of Evil!Steven.]_

 **Unknown voice** : Now do you understand?

 _[Child!MadamTime flies up in front of the screen in her Ocean blue hooded cape, Time Staff in hand.]_

 **MadamTime** : Yes. Steven Universe grows up to be the most evil gem on the planet and space. _[She shifts to adult form. She turns, scowling.]_ So what do you want me to do about it?

 _[A pair of shadowed Observants hovering nearby in high-collared capes, gears turning behind them.]_

 **Observant 1** : You're the Mistress of Time, MadamTime. Isn't it obvious?

 **Observant 2** : To save the future, _[she moves forward into the light, her entire face is occupied with one huge pink eye]_ Steven Universe must perish.


	2. Blue Peridot

**CHAPTER 2**

 _[In the present day at Beach City, We open up to see Steven is at the Fry Shack.]_

 **Peedee** : What will it be today Steven, I hope nothing off menu again (mumbling)?

 **Steven** : Hmm considering what happened last time, I think I'll have-

[The sauce tank's begin beeping as the needle begins to reach yellow.]

 **Peedee** : Great! Time the monthly maintenance again, hey Ronaldo can you hop on that?!

 **Ronaldo** : I'll do it later.

 **Steven** : What will happen if you skip at least one month of maintenance.

 **Peedee** : If we miss just one month our Sauce Tank will become so overheated, it could cause an explosion that could take out a whole city!

[Then the mayor drives by announcing that everyone in the city to come to the Beach.]

 _[Almost everyone in the city are at the Beach, Steven and Peedee are standing next to each other. Steven is listening intently, whereas Peedee look bored out of his minds.]_

 **Mayor** : Citizens of Beach City I have discovered something extraordinary!

 **Peedee** : Oh, please.

 **Steven** : Peedee, Shhhh!

 _[Peedee stares at him, nonplussed.]_

 **Mayor** : Last night my son has brought me this. _[A glowing blueprint, as if it came from space.]_

 **Buck** : Actually he took it out of my room after I found it in the backyard last night. [Speaking to his friends.]

 **Mayor** : _[Holding up the blueprint]_ I've called the FBI and in two days this blueprint will be under investigation. But for now it's going to remain in my possession until then. _[He holds up a briefcase and puts the blueprint inside, then closes it and handcuffs it to his wrist.]_ Thank You.

 _[Bill marches offstage, briefcase in hand.]_

 _Steven: I wonder if those are plans for a ship, then me and the Crystal Gems can finally put an end to homeworld's tyranny. But who am I kidding? There's no way I'll ever be able to grab the blueprints from him._

 **Peedee, to Steven** : Are you ok? Steven?

 _[Steven is staring ahead, in disappointment. We zoom out to see him on MadamTime's viewscreen, adult!MadamTime looking at it. She turns away as the Observants address her.]_

 **Observant1** : What are you waiting for? It's the perfect chance to take him out!

 **MadamTime** : That's the problem with you Observants. _[She switches to child form.]_ All you do is observe.

 **Observant2** : You know our oath. To watch -

 **MadamTime** : _[getting up in her grill]_ -and never act. Which is why _[she switches to her old form]_ you bring me in to do your dirty work. _[She raises her staff and it flashes, the viewscreen turning to Steven bringing Peridot's old ship parts out of Amethyst room.]_ He turns evil because of his anticipation _[she switches to child form]_ to go to Homeworld? Fine. Then perhaps it's time for a project of my own.

 _[Sinking through the viewscreen to the barn. Steven is with Connie surrounded by ship parts and tools. He tries to ensemble two pieces together for a moment, then drops his head despairingly. Connie peering over his shoulder. None of the piece were put together right. She frowns quizzically. Smiling a little, while Steven tries again.]_

 **Connie** : _[lifting a finger warningly]_ Ah-

 _[Steven looks back and she covers her mouth. Frowning and sweating a little, One of the ship parts begins to sizzle.]_

 **Connie** : _[Raising a finger again, wincing]_ Steven don't-

 _[The parts cause a little explosion, the two are unharmed but covered in ashes coughing.]_

 **Connie** : Steven are you okay-

 **Steven** : _[Flinging his destroyed piece in the air, making Connie flinch back]_ Ugh! I can't believe I was foolish enough to try to fix this.

 **Connie** : _[downcast]_ Steven you're only 14, we can't build something as advanced as a ship. _[He props his head on one hand.]_

[The crystal gems find them in the barn.]

 **Pearl** : There you are.

 **Amethyst** : What's that, Steve? Isn't that Peri's old ship parts?

 **Steven** : Yes, if I can build this correctly then we can finally go to Homeworld.

 **Pearl** : Oh Steven, we have plenty to do that.

 **Garnet** : Homeworld at the moment is the last thing on our mind, beside you know building a ship isn't as easy as it looks.

 _[Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst trot out of the barn. Clenching his fits and growling, Steven glares and flips out.]_

 **Steven** : Oh, I give-

 **MadamTime VO** : Time out!

 _[Steven freezes in the act of kicking the parts and tools around, Connie freezes as she begins to back away, and a blue-white light flares in midair, turning into a clock hand that sweeps a blue disc of light into being. It disappears and adult!Madam appears in its place with a Blue Peridot. She appeared to be asleep or unconscious.]_

 **MadamTime** : Ah, good. The gems are gone. _[switches to child form]_ He's alone with his friend. _[She flies in a ring around the frozen Steven and Connie and returns to the Blue Peridot. Setting her staff down to float in midair beside her, she pulls a medallion on a ribbon, shaped like a gear with the entwines letters MT in the middle, out of her robe, grinning. She drops the medallion around Blue Peridot's neck and she wakes.]_

 **Blue Peridot:** Huh? What? Where am I?

 **MadamTime** : _[switching to old form]_ Beach City, before you were create. That boy there _[he points at Steven and she looks]_ is part gem. My employers believe him to be a threat to the world. _[changing to adult form]_ Could you be a dear and dance a little dance for us?

 _[Blue Peridot stares at him, then glares at Steven.]_

 **MadamTime** : _[punching the button on top of her staff]_ Time in! _[She vanishes in a swirling ball of light]_

 _[The parts and tool are flying in the air. ]_

 **Steven** : - UP!

 **Connie** : _[Gasping, she sees the Blue Peridot behind a glaring Steven.]_ Uh Steven. [Pointing at the Blue Peridot.]

 **Steven** : _[Turning to look at Blue Peridot and flinching]_ Gah! Umm who are _you_?

 **Blue Peridot** : _[arms akimbo]_ I am Peridot **Facet-3F8L Cut-9XG Era 3** ,Serving my brilliant Blue Diamond!

 **Steven** : Whoa .

 **Blue Peridot** : And now you will face the test of my metal-based doom! _[She spreads her hands. Various garden tools and regular tools are forming a suit of armor.]_

 _[Steven crouches then springs up and tackles her right out of the armor, her limb enhancer jets go off and they both burst through the roof. Back at Fish Stew Pizza. The mayor, briefcase still cuffed to his wrist, is sitting down at one of the outdoor tables with a pizza and cup of coffee. He looks up as Lapis and Peridot approach his table.]_

 **Mayor** : Can I help you two?

 **Lapis** : I will never understand why these lifeforms enjoy eating.

 **Peridot** : Eugh how can you eat that.

 **Mayor** : For your information, pizza is one of the best food in the nation. Now if you two don't I would like to eat in-

 _[The mayor's plate begins to glow, then flies off as his pizza smears him in the face.]_

 **Mayor** : What the?!

 _[Metal objects flying from all the restaurants in the area, people gasp as their plates and silverware levitates off their trays and goes zooming out the door. Above the Fry Shack, It swirls around Blue Peridot as she faces off against Steven.]_

 **Blue Peridot** : Prepare to taste defeat! [She tosses a few knifes at Steven]

 **Steven** : _[dropping his face in his shield in boredom]_ Please.

 **Blue Peridot** : _[offended]_ Feast on my blast of doooooom!

 _[She flings the massive blast, but he makes his shield bigger and the blast collides off.]_

 **Steven** : Oh, come on! I at least thought you would be more dangerous than the original Peridot, especially with those limb enhancers-

 _[She brings both fists down on his head, knocking him out of the air. Falling through the roof of the Fry Shack. The people out in the line scream and run out. Peridot and Lapis look on. Inside, Steven gets up, jump out of the shack and faces off against Blue Peridot, who has followed him. Peedee and Ronaldu hiding behind the counter .]_

 **Peedee** : Let's get out of here!

 **Mr. Fryman** : No! You can't leave! _[Putting his hands on his hips]_ You took an oath to protect the Sauce from overheating at all costs! _[he points to two tall vats. A small dial on the side with a color warning scale has its needle in the green.]_

 **Ronaldu** : Dad it's just a restaurant! Get over yourself.

 **Peedee** : Yeah I've got too much to live for!

 _[The two are carrying their dad and they run out the back door.]_

 **Mr. Fryman** : Noooo, You boys can kiss Employee of the Month goodbye!

 **Steven** : _[floating up over the two vats]_ That's right! Peedee told me that if this stuff gets too hot, kaboom! _[he looks over at the condiment station, where there is a box of multicolored sauce packets. He picks up one.]_

 **Blue Peridot** : Prepare for - _[the Ketchup Packet sticks in her hair and she cuts off]_

 **Steven** : Hey, Blue Peri! _[He throw a pan of hot sizzling grease at her.]_ There's no reason to be a hot head!

 _[The ketchup packet swells then explodes, kicking Steven through the wall and blowing the top off the Fry Shack. Outside, a crowd of people look on. The mayor raises his briefcase to shield his face from the flying debris, the briefcase breaks open from the blast and blueprints fly out and sticks to a sauce-splattered Steven who flies over the Mayor's head to land behind to Lapis and Peridot. The briefcase closes before the mayor lowers it into his arms.]_

 **Mayor** : Run!

 _[Screaming, everyone but the trio runs. Even Connie ran since she really couldn't do anything.]_

 **Lapis** : _[getting up]_ Steven! Who was that, it looked like Peridot?

 **Steven** : _[helping Sam to her feet]_ It was a Era 3 Peridot but I've decide call her Blue Peri.

 **Lapis** : Yikes.

 **Peridot** : Actually, it's more of an ew.

 **Steven** : I don't know what's going on. _[looking down, he notices the MT medallion on the ground.]_ But this medallion might give us a clue - _[he suddenly notices there is something stuck to his back, and peels it away. It's the glowing Blueprints.]_ Oh my gosh. The Blueprints!

 _[Zooming out to see him in MadamTime's viewscreen. adult!MadamTime and the two Observants are watching.]_

 **MadamTime** : _[watching the screen intently and gesturing]_ Now watch this. He'll make the right choice. And you'll see, you've got absolutely nothing to-

 **Steven** : _[holding up the packet triumphantly]_ Hello, great future!

 **Peridot** : You're not actually considering building whatever device is in that blueprint, are you?

 **Steven** : Of course I am, This might be our ticket to finally go to homeworld. Wouldn't you be excited?

 _[MadamTime's wide-eyed stare drops into a scowl.]_

 **Observant 1** : He's stolen the blueprints.

 **Observant 2** : He's clearly going to build that device!

 **Observant 1** : He has your time medallion.

 **Observant 2:** He has your time medallion.

 **MadamTime** : You said that twice. [switches to child form.]

 **Observant 1** : Destroy him now, MadamTime.

 _[Switching back to adult form, MadamTime sticks her hand in the opening of another gear.]_

 **MadamTIme** : I know what I'm doing. _[the gear opening and her hand glow, and the opening resolves to a view of a robotic figure.]_ We put the idea to the project in his hands, and he made the wrong decision.

 _[In the viewer, there's a image of the smoking wreck of the Fry Shack. The viewer zooms closer, showing an exposed heating element by the Sauce tanks. The heat meter moves up to yellow. MadamTime punches a button on her staff, making the viewer go to static. It shows a still shot of Steven fighting the robot , then fighting his evil older self. It then shows the Crystal Gems, his Dad, Lion, Connie and her Parents, Peridot, and Lapis bound and gagged with ectoenergy right next to the device Steven builds and the rumbling in the Fry Shack, Lapis gets loose and grabs Peridot before the Fry Shack explodes, and Steven shielding himself against the blast then screaming "nooo!" MadamTime floats up in front of the viewer.]_

 **Madamtime** : _[in old form]_ His future is sealed.


	3. Steven Meets Sars and Older Lapis

**CHAPTER 3**

 _[The trio are walking through town.]_

 **Lapis** : So, are you going to get rid of that blueprint or not?

 **Steven** : I will! I will. I'm just...waiting for the right moment.

 **Peridot** : Like, maybe, after you build it?

 _[Lapis frowns at her.]_

 **Peridot** : Yeah, you're right. _[As they pass Mrs. Maheswaran driving]_ You're not thinking about building whatever's on that blueprint that you're convinced will determine your future.

 _[The windows were down and she looks after them quizzically. After they appear out of sight she thinks to herself.]_

 _[Back at Connie's place, Connie is in her room laying in her bed, deciding on whether to text Steven or not.]_

 **Connie** : I really hope Steven's okay.

 **Connie's Mother** : _[Opening her room door.]_ Connie, I need to speak with you about your friend Steven.

 _[Connie looks alarmed.]_

 _[Back at the barn at dusk. The trio are sitting in a circle on the floor around MadamTime's medallion. Peridot connects a pair of wires from it to her tablet.]_

 **Peridot** : I can't seem to hack into it. It's really hi-tech, even for me.

 **Lapis** : Yeah, like it's from the future or something.

 **Steven** : Well, speaking of the future, I think it's time I started preparing for mine. _[picks up his cheeseburger backpack and stands]_

 **Lapis** : You mean destroy it.

 **Steven** : I didn't say that.

 **Peridot** : You didn't say _not_ destroy.

 **Steven** : [ _facepalming]_ Guys, come on. I'd spent the months trying to figure out a way to get into space, but I've been to caught up with gem missions! Besides, if you two think this task is so meaningless _[pulling out the blueprint and holding it up]_ , why do you even care if I build it? Why shouldn't I build this up and see what happens, huh?

 _[Lapis and Peridot look at each other.]_

 **Steven** : No answer? _[putting the blueprint on a table.]_ Well that's all the answer I need. _[He looks down at the rolled up blueprint, hesitating.]_

 **Peridot** : _[to Lapis]_ Aren't you going to say something?

 **Lapis** : I'm his friend, not his mom. _[giving Steven a dirty look]_ He wants to build that thing, let him.

 _[Steven is still hesitating. Finally he goes for the seal and begins to unrolls it, but is interrupted by a blue light behind him. Peridot gapes and Lapis gasps. The robot seen earlier in MadamTime's viewscreen appears. It's a combination of Lars and Sadie, with Lar's head in the typical head spot engulfed in flames and Sadie's face embedded in its chest. Both have eyes with no pupils]_

 **Peridot and Lapis** : _[gasping]_ Steven!

 _[Steven summons his shield leaps at the figure, who easily backhands him into the wall. He slides to the floor and glares up.]_

 **Steven** : Who are you supposed to be?

 **Sars!Lars** : I am Sars 9.9, homeworld's greatest and coolest creation!

 **Sars!Sadie:** With the most advanced technology in the operating system!

 **Steven** : Lars and Sadie together?

 **Peridot** : I can't tell if that's an ew or a yikes?

 _[Several claw-ended arms spring out of Sars.]_

 **Steven** : A Yikes!

 _[Steven barely misses getting slammed by a cluster of arms. Summoning his bubble, he snags Lapis and Peridot and rolls them out of the barn, then returns through the door. Sars knocks him around for a bit, then grabs him by the neck and holds him up.]_

 **Sars!Lars** : Say goodbye,

 **Sars!Sadie** : Steven!

 _[They lift a claw arm, which begins to spin like a scalesaw. Suddenly their gauntlet starts beeping the tune to Reveille.]_

 **Sars!Lars** : Someone's hacked into the system? How is that even possible!

 **Sars!Sadie** : I don't know!

 _[Sar's jets fire off. Dropping Steven, they take off through the ceiling. The door opens and Peridot and Lapis comes in.]_

 **Peridot** : Wow. For the most advanced technology of it's time, I could hack into their system with my tablet with no problem. I don't know whether that's exciting or depressing.

 **Steven** : _[jumping on Lapis back]_ Come on, lets go!

 **Lapis** : Ow...Steven!

 **Steven** : Oops sorry.

 _[She grabs Peridot and flies after Sars across the evening sky. Below, at Connie's, Connie and her Mother are talking.]_

 **Connie** : So you're saying Steven stole the blueprints from the mayor's announcement? But how?

 **Connie's Mother** : I don't know. Unless that friend of your suddenly gained the ability to freeze time?

 **Connie** : _[cringing]_ But Mom, you still have no proof Steven took the blueprints.

 **Connie's Mom** : Fair enough. He has up until it's time for the FBI to start their investigation to see if he's really the culprit. But if it is him, I won't just turn him in. I'll make sure to destroy his future.

 _[Back in the air, The trio is still chasing Sars.]_

 **Sars!Lars** : What are you waiting for Sadie? Activate the Override!

 **Sars!Sadie** : Don't tell me how to do my job Lars!

 _[Steven throw his shield at Sars, they fall from the sky to crash into the ruin of the Fry Shack. Sars blast off again. The heating element is still on, the meter inching higher.]_

 **Sars!Sadie** : Activating Universe Palm Pummeler!

 _[Their hand opens, sending out a bluewhite ray that catches Steven, Lapis, and Peridot and knocks them off course, smoking. The blast hits Steven again, falls a short way before he regains his float.]_

 **Steven** : You're shorting out my powers?!

 **Sars!Lars** : Indeed. The pummeler might not work on you in the future, but we had a feeling it would work on you here.

 **Steven** : The future?

 **Sars!Sadie** : _[laughing]_ Oh, I love it. You're much much less powerful than that other Universe Menace we have to deal with!

 **Peridot** : Other Universe Menace?

 _[A third blast hits him, causing him to fall.]_

 **Steven** : What are you two talking aboooou _[falling]_ aaaagh! _[he catches himself one-handed on a flagpole. Steven looks up.]_ I thought for sure it would _[the flagpole snaps]_ breeaaaak! _[He falls and bounces off an awning into a pile of trash bags.]_ Guess I don't have a future as an gymnast. _[An arm snakes through the pile and grabs him around the middle, zapping him.]_ Aaaaaaaugh! _[It slams him to the ground.]_

 **Sars!Lars** : You don't have a future, period!

 **Sars!Sadie** : Not anymore!

 **Peridot** : I wouldn't bet on that.

 _[Lapis and Peridot come up, Peridot running the override on her tablet. A red laser hits Sars and they short out, falling.]_

 **Sars!** : Ahhh Crap...

 _[As they fall they catch themselves on a flagpole.]_

 **Sars!** : Wow, that flagpole thing-Aaaaghhh

 _[It snaps and they fall, crashing to land doubled over a lamppost. With the MT medallion around their neck.]_

 **Steven** : _[still trapped in the cuffed arm]_ Way to go, guys!

 **Lapis** : Come on Peridot, let's see if we can get this off!

 _[Lapis grabs the cuff and Peridot grabs Lapis as they try to wrench it open. Sar's medallion falls off and tinks to the ground, and they start to glow bluewhite. The glow races along the arm, enveloping the trio, and they all vanish._

 _[Now they find themselves inside MadamTimes's Tower. Sars and the trio are thrown through it to land on the floor. The cuff springs open.]_

 **Steven** : Where are we?

 _[The three wander, looking up into the gear-ridden darkness. They approach a window with a clockface embedded in it.]_

 **Peridot** : I don't know. Homeworld, I think. _[Zoom out to see the entire tower, floating in the star haze of Homeworld.]_ But...no part of Homeworld I've ever seen.

 **Lapis** : It happened right after their medallion fell off.

 **Peridot** : And I think I know how to get us back!

 _[She gaze to a box on the wall, where six more of the medallions hang. Peridot seizes one and puts it around her neck.]_

 **Peridot** : _[pumping her arms triumphantly]_ Haha!

 _[Nothing happens.]_

 **Peridot** : _[Looking around, then dropping his arms.]_ Nothing, huh.

 **Lapis** : No, but nice bling. _[She goes to take a closer look at the viewer.]_

 **Steven** : _[Looking more closely at Peridot's medallion]_ Well I don't like this.

 **Lapis** : And you're going to hate this Steven.

 _[They join Lapis at the viewer, where EvilFuture!Steven is laughing and throwing ectoblasts at screaming people and buildings, setting one of them on green fire, then laughing. A label on the screen reads FUTURE: 12 YEARS.]_

 **Lapis** : I think I'm seeing your future. And you're kind of a jerk Steven.

 _[On the viewer, tanks, helicopters, and police cars approach Evil!Steven. He easily dispatches the lot of them with his Soul Wail. Even more approach Evil!Steven. His eyes dilate and he becomes engulfed in red rage energy and performs a huge red spin dash and shooting red blasts everywhere wiping out the entire force. His eyes return back to normal and he is no longer engulfed in rage energy. Lapis looks aghast.]_

 **Lapis** : Ok, you're _really_ a jerk.

 **Steven** : _[pushing Lapis out of the way]_ Wow, what is that? _[Excited]_ Some kind of soul wail and rage charge? What cool powers!

 _[Lapis and Peridot stare at him.]_

 **Steven** : _[backtracking quickly]_ ...If it weren't being used for evil!

 **Peridot** : _[turning to Sars and opening their system.]_ Let's see if this future freak knows any more about-

 _[Glowing bluewhite, Sars suddenly rises and flies into the viewer.]_

 **Peridot** : I didn't do that.

 **MadamTime** : I did.

 _[The trio all look up as adult!MadamTime descends from the darkness.]_

 **MadamTime** : I sent them back to their own time. Or, should I say, _[switching to old version]_ forward to their own time. You see, for me, _[switching to child mode]_ time moves backwards _[switching to adult mode]_ and forwards, and- _[switching to old form]_ Oh, why am I bothering. You're fourteen.

 **Steven** : Who are you? Where are we?

 **MadamTime** : Introductions? Fine. I am MadamTime, The Mistress of Time. _[switching to child form]_ I've been charged with the task of eliminating your future, so that nightmare _[pointing at the viewer]_ never happens.

 _[In the viewer, taking place in Homeworld, Evil!Steven picks up a tank and throws it, civilian gems are running away, he tosses a blast at a gem running towards the screen, then tosses a few more blasts around and then back at the screen.]_

 **Steven** : You've got to be kidding me. Name one evil thing I've done!

 _[Smiling, adult!Madam points her staff at the viewer. In it, Connie pulling the Blueprints out of Steven's cheeseburger backpack and gasping, "Steven's a thief!"]_

 **Peridot** : Bet you can't find four!

 _[In the viewer, a sobbing Connie turns into Evil!Steven standing triumphantly over the wreckage of a city street, decorated liberally with fallen helicopters.]_

 **MadamTime** : How about forty thousand. _[switches to child form]_

 **Steven** : I don't have to sit here and explain myself to you!

 _[He leaps at adult!MadamTime.]_

 **MadamTime** : Time out!

 _[MadamTime points her now-glowing staff at Steven, who slows and freezes in place just short of it, then rewinds to leap backward and land.]_

 **Steven** : -Whoa. _[puts a hand to his head]_ Serious deja vu. _[He leaps at MadamTime again.]_

 **MadamTime** : _[punches button on her staff again, grinning]_ Time out! _[Steven slows way down, and MadamTime swoops off to the side; Steven watches her go]_ Time in!

 _[Steven resumes normal speed, his momentum carrying him through the spot MadamTime previously occupied and slamming him into the clock tower bell. MadamTime rewinds and forwards him through colliding with the bell a few times.]_

 **MadamTime** : I could do this all day _[changing to old form]_ , but I have a schedule to keep.

 _[She presses the button one last time, and Steven crashes to the ground. Above, MadamTime pulls a scythe from the hands of a reaper statue and swoops down.]_

 **Lapis and Peridot** : Steven! Look out!

 _[Steven zips out of the way and the scythe comes down on a gear, shattering it. MadamTime freezes him in midair. Over to the side, Lapis is also frozen in the act of gasping, but Peridot is unaffected.]_

 **Peridot** : Hey, wait! How come she can freeze time for Steven and not for us? _[noticing Lapis is frozen]_ Hey, Lapis? _[waving a hand in front of her face]_ Hm. _[Looking down at her medallion and holding it]_ I knew these medallions were good for something. _[she runs and grabs a pair of medallions from the wall.]_

 **MadamTime** : _[looming over Steven with the scythe]_ Time's up, Gem Hybrid.

 _[She raises the scythe to swing, and Peridot's hand reaches out and takes it from her hands.]_

 **Peridot** : Sorry, no sudden death overtime in this game!

 _[She uses her metal power and motions the medallions to the right and left. The first one lands around Lapis's neck; she blinks then assumes a fighting stance. The second one lands around Steven's and he abruptly resumes.]_

 **Steven** : Huh? What happened? _[He lands between Peridot and Lapis.]_

 **Lapis** : _[holding up her medallion]_ We're immune to her powers. Now lets-!

 **MadamTime** : _[scowling]_ You three have seen too much. You must be eliminated before _[switch to old form]_ you permanently alter the timestream.

 _[Five soldiers from different eras appear one by one, fully armed. The trio gasps.]_

 **MadamTime** : _[switching to adult form]_ Nowhere to run, gems.

 _[The viewer, displaying the desolate landscape of Beach City 12 years in the future. Steven looks to it and back.]_

 **Steven** : Nowhere but the future!

 _[Grabbing Lapis and Peridot, he leaps into the viewer, Peridot dropping the scythe in the process.]_

 **MadamTime** : Then let's see if you have what it takes _[switch to child form]_ to face that future.

 _[In a shattered street in future Beach City. The trio appear in a flare of bluewhite light, Steven and Peridot falling to the ground.]_

 **Peridot** : _[looking around uneasily]_ Wow. This is what we have to look forward to?

 **Lapis** : How do you think this all happened?

 **Steven** : I don't know. But based on what we just saw, I have a really bad feeling I'm the one responsible.

 _[Older Lapis springs out of the wreckage.]_

 **Older Lapis** : Got that right!

 _[She forms a fist out of the ocean that can almost reach the sky and attempts to smash Steven. Steven summons his shield makes it just as big as the fist and shields his head. When the fist hits the shield it caused the ground to shake and Steven fell to his knees. Steven then gets back on his feet to face off against Older Lapis.]_

 **Steven** : Lapis! Listen to me!

 **Older Lapis** : You can't fool me this time, Universe!

 _[She tries to swing ocean hand sideways again and he takes a flying dodge. She then fires a few water nets. Steven loops back around, just barely misses the swings by the ocean hand, then he gets caught in one of the water net which drops him to the ground. Older Lapis lands nearby and trains giant ice stalactites at him.]_

 **Older Lapis** : I've been waiting a long time for this. Goodbye and good-

 _[Present Lapis and Peridot jump in front of Steven, shielding him.]_

 **Peridot** : Lapis, no!

 _[Older Lapis rears back in shock.]_

 **Lapis** : Don't shoot!

 **Older Lapis** : _[wide-eyed]_ Peridot? And a younger version of me? I-It's not possible! This is a trick! Peridot I watched you die!

 **Peridot** : Wait. Not alive? _[dropping her arms]_ That's my future? I'm definitely not letting you build that device Steven!

 **Older Lapis** : The device. Don't you remember that's the last time we saw the Crystal Gems and his Family alive [Pointing at Steven.]. The big explosion at that fry shack.[Her voice begins to breaks and she tears up.] I saved you only see you get shattered right in front of me yesterday - _[training the stalactites on Steven again]_ And it was all your fault Steven!

 _[A green flash of flame knocks Lapis of course. The trio look up to the source to find Evil!Steven floating there, hair flowing with the wind.]_

 **Evil!Steven** : Actually, that was me. And you, eventually.

[Steven is staring horrifically at his future self.]


	4. Steven Meets The Greatest Foe

**CHAPTER 4**

 _[Evil!Steve is frowning down at the trio, who stare back up in shock. Steven is still caught in Older Lapis's net. Evil!Steve lands on the street and puts his fists on his hips.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Lapis and Peridot from the past. It's been a while. Twelve years, to be accurate. _[Raising a hand, he sweeps it down, Lapis and Peridot are encased, motionless, is green light. (Telekinesis)]_ So, to what do I owe this little blast from the past? _[His eyes widen as he notices Lapis's MT medallion]_ MadamTime. Meddling again.

 _[He begins to raise his arm, but a water blast knocks him into a building. As he stumbles up and waves the mist away he sees Older Lapis, glaring. Scowling, he gets to his feet and charges. Lapis shoots a pair of ice spikes at him, but he transforms to a green, cloudy form and they pass through him. She fires more, but he is too fast and grabs her by both wrists. Meanwhile, Steven bursts from the net with a cry. Evil!Steve lifts Older Lapis with one hand and punches her with the other, sending her bouncing off the pavement. He follows as she props herself on one hand and one elbow, he spits on her gem injuring her(Unlike Steven's healing spit, Dark Steven's actually injures an opponent causing them a great deal of pain.)]_

 _[Lapis screams in pain as her gem is beginning to melt.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : I suppose out of respect for our past, I should let you live. _[He grabs her by the neck, choking her.]_ But that's not how I work. _[He lifts her and throws her.]_

 **Steven** : Lapis!

 _[Steven leaps and catches Lapis around the waist, sealed in a bubble, flying through a few buildings before crash-landing in the street on the other side in a tangle. He wipes Evil Steven's spit off of her with his shirt. But the spit put a hole in his shirt.]_

 **Older Lapis** : You really are Steven from the past, aren't you?

 _[Steven just looks at her, getting up.]_

 **Older Lapis** : Almost forgot about the good times we shared back then. _[she slumps back to the ground]_

 **Steven** : Wow even through 12 years of misery, she still remembers the good times.

 _[Back to Evil Steven, studying Lapis and Peridot]_

 **Evil!Steven** : You know, if I had an ounce of humanity left in me, _[he walks around Lapis and Peridot, still trapped in the green light]_ this would be a touching little reunion. _[Lapis and Peridot exchange a nervous glance.]_ But of course I surrendered my soul a long time ago.

 _[Behind him, Steven lands on the street just a few yards behind him, teeth gritted and fists clenched. Evil!Steve's ears perk up.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Oh, please.

 _[He turns and punches a blast at Steven, who puts his shield up. The blast bounces off but knocks him off his feet as the blast vaporizes the shield and hits Dark Steven. Both are knocked down by the blast, and the green light trapping Peridot and Lapis vanishes, dropping them to the street as well.]_

 **Steven** : _[sitting up, panicked]_ Lapis! Peridot! Run!

 _[Lapis took flight and Peridot took off.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : _[back on his feet]_ Run? Where are they going to go?

 _[Turning, he lets out a Soul Wail. Steven covers his ears. Peridot and Lapis stop, looking up at the Statue above the temple next to them. The rocks begins to crumble, the head that crashed on top of the house rolls towards them. Lapis and Peridot cover their heads.]_

 _[Steven gets to his feet, summons his bubble, and begins to floats to them, but Evil!Steven grabs him through the bubble by the ankle.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Ah ah ah.

 _[Steven gasps as the Statue's head falls over on top of Peridot and Lapis, throwing up a cloud of dust. Steven stares in shock for a moment, then cries out as Evil!Steve shocks him with energy. His bubble discenegreate and Evil!Steve spins and throws him toward the wreckage. Getting up on his elbows, he sees the two time medallions Peridot and Lapis had been wearing lying abandoned on the ground.]_

 **Steven** : They took off their time medallions! _[getting to his feet]_ That returns them to their time period just like the Blue Peridot and Sars! _[holding up a medallion]_ Lapis and Peridot made it out alive! _[taking hold of his own medallion]_ Which means I can-

 **Evil!Steve** : _[seizing Steven's arm]_ What? _[Steven cries out as he lifts him into the air, dropping the other medallion.]_ Go back with them? They're doomed anyway. And you aren't going anywhere if you can't remove your time medallion. _[His hand glows green. Ripping off the time medallion, he makes it intangible and sticks it inside Steven's chest. Steven screams then slumps, unconscious.]_ In fact, you aren't going anywhere at all.

 _[Back to current time at wreck of the Fry Shack. The city bus drives up and parks in front of it.]_

 **Connie** : _[getting off the bus and looking around]_ If Steven wasn't at Temple then I'm sure he has to be out here somewhere.

 _[In the alley beside the Fry Shack, Lapis and Peridot appear in a flash of light. The still-live heating element and tanks of Sauce are visible. Peridot is on her knees, still shielding her head, screaming. Lapis crosses her arms and frowns at him. She looks up, surprised.]_

 **Peridot** : You got the medallions off, didn't you.

 **Lapis** : I don't accessorize well. Unfortunately, Steven's still stuck in the future fighting his jerky older self! We've gotta help him!

 **Connie** : _[off from a distance]_ Hey you two are friends of Steven.

 _[They turn and see her standing at the entrance to the alley.]_

 **Connie** : You got a second? Let me answer that for you. _[approaching with one hand pointing]_ Yes, you do. I know Steven stole the blueprints. And he's going to destroy the city!

 **Lapis** : Actually, Steven wasn't going to-

 **Connie** : _[holding up a hand]_ Enough. I know more than you think I do. A lot more. So I suggest when you see Steven, you tell him I wanna talk to him. Tonight! Because if I don't, I will be talking to the Crystal Gems and my parents tomorrow. _[walks off]_

 **Lapis** : Her parents knows Steven has the blueprints?

 **Peridot** : Wow, is he in trouble.

 **Lapis** : That's gotta be it. Steven building that device is what leads to that horrible future!

 **Peridot** : Let me get this straight. Steven destroys the city and I pay for it with my live? How is that fair?

 _[Back in the Future: Steven is lying on the ground, opening his eyes. A large stone statue comes into focus before him.]_

 **Steven** : Garnet? Pearl? Amethyst? _[rolls to his knees]_

 _[The statue is of the Crystal Gems, Greg, Lion, & Connie all smiling. An epigraph on the large pedestal reads "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN". Steven's arms are bound to his torso with glowing green rope.]_

 **Steven** : "Gone but not forgotten"?

 _[He looks to the side and sees a statue of Connie's Parents off by itself. The pedestal has sunk into the ground so that it reads "MR & MRS MAHESWARAN - GONE".]_

 **Steven** : _[standing]_ And where's the Fry Shack?

 _[He looks up at the wreck of the Fry Shack. It's been blown open, and the sign is fallen. Evil!Steve walks around the corner of the building.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Strange how one massive fireball of highly combustible condiments can ruin your whole future.[Dilating his pupils]

 **Steven** : _[looking down]_ The time medallion?

 **Evil!Steve** : Fused inside you. Nice, huh? Intangible and unreachable which means...you can't go back in time. _[He raises his hand and a disc of a bright swirling light begins to form around it.]_

 **Steven** : It doesn't matter if I go back in time or not. I'll never turn into you! Never!

 _[Behind Evil!Steve, the swirling white vortex has grown to his height.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Of course you will. _[he reverts to human form, he now appears to be Steven's age; a perfect clone.]_ It's only a matter of time. _[seizing Steven by the bonds, he throws him screaming into the warp portal.]_ I need you out of my way and out of my hair while I make sure nothing happens to change my past. And luckily, this _[he pulls out one of the time medallions]_ is all I need to make sure of that...

 _[A ball of bluewhite light engulfs him and he vanishes. He reappears back in the present, in the alleyway next to the Fry Shack.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : ...And to get where and when I need to be.

 _[Back at MadamTime's Tower. MadamTime stands before her viewer, which is blank, fiddling with something on her staff. The two Observants appear behind her and she stops what she's doing, looking back at them.]_

 **Observant 1** : Have you completed the task?

 **MadamTime** : _[crossly]_ Everything's fine. _[smiling]_ Everything's the way it's supposed to be. _[She turns to the console of the viewer and presses a button as she reverts to her old form. Disguised!Evil!Steve appears on the screen in front of the Fry Shack's Sauce vats.]_ And there's your boy, back to his time. Safe, sound, and clearly not evil. _[onscreen DE!Steve starts walking.]_ Now. Care to observe the door?

 _[The two Observants look at each other, then vanish. MadamTime switches to child form.]_

 _[Back at the Fry Shack. DE!Steve is looking up at the sign. Even disguised, he retains his adult voice.]_

 **DE!:Steve** : The Fry Shack. Still standing. For now... _[he looks inside where the heating element is warming the Sauce tank. The temperature indicator is still slowly creeping higher.]_

 **Lapis and Peridot** : _[from a distance]_ Steven!

 _[DE!Steven turns away from the hole in the Fry Shack, surprised. Lapis and Peridot run up, grinning. They both hug him ]_

 **Lapis** : You made it back!

 **Peridot** : Did you beat that evil puspack alternative version of yourself?

 **DE!Steve** : _[his eyes flash red for an instant, then return to normal, and he laughs shortly. He now speaks with Steven's voice.]_ Always with the quips. In my weaker moments I sometimes miss your droll sense of humor.

 _[Lapis and Peridot look nonplussed.]_

 **Peridot** : What?

 **Steven** : _[realizing he's messed up]_ I'm just kidding! I beat my other self quite easily. Had you guys going there for a second, didn't I?

 **Peridot** : ...Well...we should probably do what we can to stop this building from blowing up, huh?

 **Steven** : Already done! Now, who's up for... _[to himself]_ what did we used to do together? _[out loud] Hang out and_ Make some meep morps?

 **Lapis and Peridot** : _[enthusiastically]_ Yes!

[He gives an evil grin.]

 _[Back in the white swirling part of the Warp portal, Steven is drifting, still bound. He struggles against the ropes.]_

 **Steven** : _[grunting]_ Gotta get out of this!

 _[He struggles some more and finds himself still stuck, then finally gives up.]_

 **Steven** : Well, it was worth a shot.[The warp portal leads him into a dismantled homeworld.]

 **Doc** : _[from a distance]_ Well, well, well. _[Steven floating toward her; she is large and muscular now, with a mechanical leg, a missing eye, and cracked glasses.]_ All this time we've been planning how we'd take the fight to you, and here you are. Wrapped up like a present.

 **Steven** : Doc?

 **Doc** : Bingo.

 _[Raising a fist and punches Steven, knocking him into an much chubbier Bismuth missing a hand that is now replaced with hook.]_

 **Steven** : Bismuth?! You look...

 **Bismuth** : Like my hand dissolve to ashes, WITH THAT BURNING SPIT OF YOURS.?

 **Steven** : I was gonna say statuesque, but uh-

 _[With her other hand Bismuth throws a hammer shaped fist at Steven knocks him back. He crashes into Eyeball, now balding and in a wheelchair.]_

 **Steven** : Eyeball?! Ok, whatever happened to you, I swear I had nothing to do with-

 **Eyeball** : _[in a wheelchair]_ Been waiting a long time for this, punk.[Pulling out her chisel.]

 **Steven** : Wait! _[More gems close in on him.]_ No! Nooo!

 _[Bismuth shape shifts her hand into a knife now and Doc throws another fist.]_

 _[Back in Steven's room. DE!Steven rises up through the floor and looks around distastefully.]_

 **DE!Steve** : My old room. _[Looking in the mirror, touching his face]_ And my old pudgy face.

 _[Behind him, the front door opens. It's Pearl, looking peeved. Connie was outside the window carefully watching]_

 **Pearl** : Steven? We need to talk.

 **DE!Steve** : And my old looney guardian, Pearl. What do you want, Pearl? I'm busy.

 _[Pearl approaches, holding his cheeseburger backpack. Lion comes up the stair growling at Steven, as if he sensed something wasn't right.]_

 **Pearl** : Yeah, trying to destroy this city! _[She pulls the blueprints out of the bag.]_ Connie was right, you _did_ steal it! Don't you understand?

 **DE!Steve** : That I'll be destroying my future? Haha. You don't know the half of it. _[he takes the plans and bookbag from her.]_

 **Pearl** : _[downcast]_ Steven, I'll spit it out. _[DE!Steve shoves the plans in his bag]_ You've made so much improvement over the time that's pass. Your patience and your initiative on always doing the right thing with your powers like Rose. Until now.

 **DE!Steve** : _[Sarcastically]_ Really?

 **Pearl** : Yes. Me, Garnet, and Amethyst have been proud of you, and all the good that you do. But not anymore.

 **DE!Steve** : Maybe you aren't so defective after all. _[he abandons his disguise, changing to his adult gem form]_

 _[Connie widens her eyes in disbelieve]_

 **Pearl** : You're- you're not Steven! _[backing up along with Lion still growling and summons her spear]_ That's why Lion kept growling at you! You're not Steven!

 **Evil!Steve** : I was. But I grew out of it. The Steven you know is floating helplessly in the Warp Portal twelve years in the future.

 **Pearl** : He'll escape. He'll beat you! If we don't first!

 **Evil!Steve** : [Ignoring that comment.] How? Is the answer A, the Warp Pad in the Temple? Destroyed it.[Pearl looking extremely worried] B, the only remaining warp pad? The one my idiot nemesis who thinks I'm Rose has? As soon as I find it, that's going too.

 **Pearl** : Thinks your Rose? Jasper?! _She has a Warp Pad_?

 **Evil!Steve** : Is it C, _you_? Uhh No. You can't stop me from building that device and solidifying my future, so it must be D- _[He throws a blast at her and Lion who is crying in pain, freezing them both with a green light]_ None of the above!

 _[He releases them and they fall to the ground unconscious. Connie scared out of her mind, runs off. Dark Steven returns to his human disguise and pulls the blueprints out of his bag, unravels it and looks inside.]_

 **DE!Steve** : _[adult voice]_ Well, what do you know! It's a bomb that's Deadly to gems. _[evil laugh]_

 _[Hours later Pearl and Lion are lying in the Strawberry Battlefield fields , Pearl is thrashing in her sleep.]_

 **Pearl** : Steven! _[sits up as she wakes up screaming]_ Nooo! Huh? _[looks around]_ What? The Strawberry Battlefield.

 _[Pearl leaps up and runs out to the warp pad in the field now severely damaged, she summons a pen and paper out of her gem, writes on it, and and ties it to a rock. And puts it up to lion's face.]_

 **Pearl** : Lion I need you to send this to Steven. Our Steven, twelve years from now. _[Lion being extremely hesitate.] Please! Lion! [Finally he bucks up the courage and grabs the rock with the paper on it from her hand. Lion performs the most powerful portal creation roar yet. He actually succeeds. But the unfortunately due to him using all of his power to perform such a task, he's unable to create any more portals at the moment and nearly weakens him to the point of almost falling until Pearl catches him. She encourages him and get on his back and they both make their long journey back to Beach City.]_

 _[The message flies around in the Portal, and ends up in space. It pass through 12 years. It then arrives in HOMEWORLD: 12 YEARS LATER. The rock, scorched and cracked alittle, with the message attached to it crumbled alittle as well.]_

 _[Steven, still bound, getting bounced around by cranky gems. Blue Peridot hits Steven with a blast from her limb enhancers, then Bismuth kicks him, Eyeball then cuts him slightly with her chisel. Before Steven nearly blacks out he see Sars threatening him with lightning, Blue Peridot socks him and knocks him into Doc again. She seizes him and slams him into a wall.]_

 **Steven** : Please! I didn't do all this to you, it wasn't me!

 **Sars!Lars:** Oh, shutup! You're responsible for all the horrible things that happened to your world _and_ here.

 **Sars!Sadie** : And to everyone you've ever come in contact with!

 **Doc** : Your family, your friends, _[backing away]_ and most importantly, us.

 **Steven** : But-I didn't do any of that!

 _[All of the gems power up to attack.]_

 **Steven** : Get away. [His eyes turn red and dilate in the snake like fashion] (seems like he's getting enraged) Get away! Get AWAAAAAY!

 _[His scream turns into a Soul Wail, knocking the other gems away and vaporizing his bonds. The effort of the attack weakens him , his eyes turn back to normal but his gem is glowing.]_

 **Steven** : Whoa.

 _[All of the gems are floating unconscious in space, the Blue Peridot's limb enhancers in pieces and Sar's suit smoking.]_

 **Steven** : My voice is changing? Great. _[he regains his consciousness] Now_ I'm going through evil puberty. Everywhere I turn my stupid future is smacking me in the face! _[The rock with the note clocks him in the back of the head]_ OW! ...A note? _[he takes the note and throws the rock to the side] [reading]_ Jasper. Figures she's involved in this!

 _[Back at Beach City on the Beach. DE!Steve follows the directions on the blueprint up as he goes by, then smirks as he's building the bomb. Peridot and Lapis come across him. Peridot looks shocked and Lapis despondent.]_

 **Peridot** : Steven, don't! If you build that we-

[Before she could finish her sentence, her and Lapis are chased away by a swarm of seagulls.]

 **DE!Steve** : _[he looks over at Lapis and Peridot being chased away by the seagulls and he snickers.]_ No problem at all. _[his eyes go red]_


	5. The Final Showdown

**CHAPTER 5**

 _[On the Beach. DE!Steve is still building the bomb. He looks up at the cliff and sees Connie in her battle uniform frowning at him from above. He looks around quickly, then a transparent copy of his adult self peels off and dives into the cliff as he scowls back at her. At the top of the cliff, the copy slips up behind her and zaps her as she pulls out Rose's Sword. She screams then collapses, unconscious, to the ground. He drags her off by the ankles.]_

 _[Back in the Warp Portal...]_

 **Steven** : Well, that's Jasper for ya. _[Looking at her gigantic gem symbol.]_ Subtle as a flying mallet. _[He pushes the gem symbol aside to reveal a portal. He jumps through into a dim cave packed with equipment.]_

 **Jasper** : Come to kick a defenseless old gem while she's down? _[Fingers tapping the arm of a chair.]_

 **Steven** : Defenseless? Old?

 _[Steven approaches Jasper's large, Diamond-emblazoned chair from behind; she is sitting at a bank of consoles, chemistry glassware to the side. Jasper spins about abruptly. She is still wearing her suit, but it is torn and stained. Her hair has grown so long it touches the floor, there are dark rings under hers eyes, she's gotten paler, and worst of all her gem is crack.]_

 **Steven** : Man. What happened to you?

 **Jasper** : I could ask you the very same question, Rose. Although perhaps _[she stands with the aid of a cane]_ I should ask what _hasn't_ happened to you. Yet.

 **Jasper VO** : If it's any consolation, they went so quickly. They felt no pain.

 _[As Jasper speaks, a newspaper spins out of the darkness, The headline story read reads TERRIBLE ACCIDENT FOR THE UNIVERSE'S AND FRIENDS, with a picture of the crater where the Fry Shack once stood. The other frontpage stories read THE SOLE SURVIVOR, over a picture of Steven, and "Universes and Friends", with a photo of all the Gems, Greg, Connie, Lion, & Steven all together.]_

 **Jasper VO** : Unfortunately the same could not be said of you, Rose.

 _[In the flashback the image fades to one of the Temple.]_

 **Jasper VO** : Unaware of your situation, I found you in what was possibly your weakest moment. I was ready to shatter you.-

 _[Steven soo depressed on the couch gazing with tears at a photo of his deceased family and friends, too depressed to even care about Jasper behind him getting ready to off him.]_

 **Jasper VO** : All you wanted was to make the hurt go away.

 _[Jasper's face turns to disgust but she was just a little sympathetic. She takes Steven to a laboratory wearing a medical face mask, Steven is unconscious in a large machine, hooked up to a breathing apparatus and a beeping heart monitor.]_

 **Jasper VO** : I honored your wishes.

 _[Jasper, wearing the Garnet's Gauntlets newly engineered, raises both hands and the Gauntlets glow pink.]_

 **Jasper VO** : No more painful human emotions to drag you down.

 _[Razor claws spring out of the Gauntlets. She sticks both Gauntlets into Steven's torso, closing her eyes and turning her face away, sweating with effort. Finally she pulls out a smoking, transparent form of Steven Universe, and stares up at it, wide-eyed.]_

 **Jasper VO** : Unfortunately I didn't get what I was hoping for.

 _[The spirit's eyes go wide and he rips the Gauntlets out, leaving pink gashes in his chest and throwing Jasper into the wall, the Gauntlets falling off. She looks up to see a furious Steven Spirit glowing and both fist tight.]_

 **Jasper VO** : Sadly, that freaked you up to rip my spirit out of me.

 _[Grinning maniacally, Steven's Spirit dons the Gauntlets, picks up Jasper by the torso, and rips her spirit and mortal halves apart, flinging the respective sides into opposite walls. Dropping the Gauntlets, Steven's Spirit fuses with Jasper's Spirit, who opens blazing white eyes and crackles with energy, then takes Steven's form.]_

 **Jasper VO** : And when my evil spirit fused with yours, my evil side overwhelmed you...

 _[Steven's eyes open, glowing. He screams as his face begins to crack, skin turning dark green, his shirt turned black, his star turned green, and his gem turned to a darkish green, and white hair blazing into fire. Rings of energy ripple out around him. Along with exhaling breeze from his mouth as he screamed Below, Jasper creches in terror.]_

 _[back in the present]_

 **Steven** : What happened to my human self?

 _[Jasper closes her eyes and turns away, putting up a staying hand. In flashback, A young Evil!Steve's shadow looming over a trembling Steven._

 **Jasper VO** : Some things, Rose, are better left unsaid.

 _[Evil! Steven stares down at his human self for a moment, then lunges toward the him with red eyes and a lolling snake tongue.]_

 _[In the flashback, there is a ringing scream and Jasper's lab explode in a blast of green. From it Young Evil!Steven flies, laughing.]_

 _[Back in the present]_

 **Jasper** : If any good came out of this, it's that twelve years without an evil cell in my body _[She plants her hand on the wall, head down.]_ has given me a chance to see what a fool I'd been.

 **Steven** : Maybe that's all anybody needs...a second chance. You still have Garnet's Gauntlets?

 _[Jasper's eyes go wide.]_

 _[Back in present Beach City DE!Steve plants the bomb right in front of the sauce tanks in the Fry Shack, smirking challengingly. Connie's parents approach him from behind.]_

 **Mr. Maheswaran** : _[flatly]_ Finished with your little project, son?

 **DE!Steve** : _[Turning around and getting up in his face]_ Yeah, what's it to ya?

 **Ms. Maheswaran** : We're just curious about the amount of skill it would take to build a device like that. Looks like someone would need the assistance of blueprints to build something like that.

 _[Smirking, DE!Steve steps away, tossing one last challenging glance over his shoulder at Connie's parent. Sighing, Ms. Maheswaran reaches for her cell phone and calls for Greg.]_

 **Ms. Maheswaran** : _[on the phone]_ Mr. Universe? It's Connie's Mother, Ms. Maheswaran . Could you meet me at the Fry Shack at say, 6 o'clock? _[she sees Steven making his way back to the temple.]_ And bring Steven and those aliens mothers of his.

 _[Back at Jasper's cave at the kindergarten.]_

 **Jasper** : So you're saying there's a medallion lodged within you, keeping you rooted in this time period? _[pulling on the Gauntlets]_

 **Steven** : Yes. But there's no way for me to get it out. But I'm guessing if you could reach into me and rip out my humanity, you can get the medallion out too! Then I'll pop back to my present like Peridot and Lapis did.

 **Jasper** : _[raising the gauntlets]_ Or I could just destroy you now and prevent this future. Didn't think of that, did you Rose?

 _[She hauls back and brings the claws down. Steven screams and a pink light blazes out of the mouth of the cave.]_

 _[Back at the wreck of the Fry Shack, Connie's Parents are standing in the front. An engine revs and headlights shine on him. Greg's Van parks in front of the Fry Shack, Garnet and Amethyst approaching with DE!Steven trailing behind smirking.]_

 **Garnet's** : Does anybody know where Pearl is?

 **Amethyst** : No I don't think I've seen her all day.

 **DE!Steve** : Probably off somewhere moping having some nostalgic moment about Mom.

 **Amethyst** : Steven dude, is there something wrong?

 **DE!Steve** : Not yet.

 _[In the wreck of the Fry Shack, the tanks and the heating element's indicator needle shuddering higher.]_

 **Mr. Maheswaran** : Mr. and Mrs. Universes, Steven. We were under the impression that Steven was a good kid and friend for our daughter. But when we discovered that he was a Thief who would try to destroy the town well... _[holds up the Blueprints and points out the bomb.]_

 _[Greg, Amethyst, and Garnet gasp.]_

 **Greg** : Steven! Is this true?

 **Garnet** : Why would you do this?

 **Lapis** : _[off from a distance]_ You have to get out of here!

 _[They turn to see Lapis and Peridot running to them.]_

 **Peridot** : This place is gonna blow, and we're two feet from it!

 **Ms. Maheswaran** : What's going on here!

 _[Pearl, Connie, & Lion come on the scene.]_

 **Pearl** : I'll tell you what's going on. _[Everyone looks over, surprised, and in DE!Steve's case, angry]_ Or better yet, I'll show you. _[she fires a blast from her spear at Evil!Steve, peeling away his disguise and revealing his true form. Garnet takes off her shades and looks in shock at the figure along with everyone else.]_

 **Connie** : That's not Steven!

 _[Greg, Garnet, and Amethyst go from stunned to angry, Greg grabs a pipe from his van and gets ready to strike on the fallen Evil!Steven, along with Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Lion surrounding him.]_

 **Greg** : Where is he?! Where's my son?!

 **Garnet** : What have you done to our Steven?!

 **Evil!Steve** : _[laughs and looks up at her]_ I _am_ your Steven!

 **Greg** : _What?!_

 _[Connie's Parents, Peridot, and Lapis look on, shocked. Evil!Steven springs into the air, where the clouds are starting to swirl green.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : What kind of family are you anyway? Years of treating me like a weak little pest, never listening to me, hardly ever allowed me to come on missions, trying to make me into someone I'm not. You could never accept the fact that I WAS HALF HUMAN!

 _[They stare up at Evil!Steve, stunned and speechless at the moment]_

 **Amethyst** : T-that's not true.

 **Evil!Steve** : And what was with you fools and my mother? Heck the woman was no saint. Always keeping secrets and going back on her oath and shattering someone? _Some leader_...

 **Greg** : Shutup!Just Shutup!

 **Garnet** : [Enraged]ENOUGH! DON'T YOU MOVE!

 **Evil!Steve** : Actually, nobody's going anywhere. Not until it's time for you to be blown everywhere.

 _[He flings out a strand of ectoplasm, Garnet,Amethyst, & Pearl were fusing but it was interrupted as the blast hit them along with everyone else, binding the Gems, Greg, Lion, Connie's parents to a tank, then releases 9 more blobs of it from his fingertips, gagging them. Lapis tries to break free but her attempt is foil as Dark Steven freezes her tie. Connie attempts to smite him in half with Rose's sword from behind, but his flesh moves around her swing, leaving his chest in half. She gasps and pulls back the sword.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Nice try, Connie. _[his chest springs back to normal]_ But me, _[turns his neck 180 degrees to look at her]_ my future _[he turns the rest of his body around]_ , I'm inevitable.

 _[Three copies manifest, surrounding her. One seizes the sword and yanks it from her. She screams and another copy covers her mouth with an ectoplasm gag. The three copies reunite and he lassos her with an ectoplasm rope, swinging her to the tank and joining the others. He laughs evilly.]_

 **Steven** : _[off at a distance]_ Hey, old man! _[Evil!Steve stops laughing and turns. Steven Universe zips out of the swirling sky wearing his cheeseburger backpack and some kind of rocket belt.]_ Ready for a blast from your past?

 _[Steven collides with Evil!Steve, knocking him a couple blocks away.]_

 **Steven** : Don't worry. I won't turn into that. Ever. I promise. _[He looks over at Connie's parents, both of them staring back at him.]_ I know this is probably the worst case you've ever seen associated with me, huh?

 _[A rope of ectoenergy suddenly catches him around the waist. Evil!Steve reels him in to seize him by the collar.]_

 **Steven** : What are you gonna do? Shatter me? What happens to you then?

 **Evil!Steve** : You don't get it, do you? _I'm still here._ I still exist. That means _you_ still turn into _me._

 _[He soaks up some energy into his fist and punches Steven into a lightpost. The backpack falls off and tips over, revealing Garnet's Gauntlets and Amethyst's Whip._

 **Evil!Steve** : I don't have to shatter you.

 _[The Bomb is becoming more unstable and begins to expel green gas and starts beeping and the Fry Shack Sauce indicator needle go into the red, then the Gems, Greg, Connie and her parents bound to the tank, which is beginning to crack and shudder.]_

 **Evil!Steve VO** : I just have to run out the clock until your entire life falls apart.

 _[Evil!Steve summons his helmet (A green version of Jasper's) and comet charges at Steven, who grabs the backpack and leaps into the air with the help of his rocket into sonic speed. Evil!Steve knocks over the lightpost landing on the ground, floats up and spins around, looking for him. Behind him, Steven descends from the sky, wearing the Garnet's Gauntlets.]_

 **Steven** : Maybe if you'd remembered more about your family, you'd have remembered the Amethyst's Whip!

 _[He cracks the whip, flying at Evil!Steve and wraps it around his waist. Using Garnet's Gaunlets he sends a shock wave through the whip shocking Evil!Steve. Immediately the older Steven screams as he is electrocuted by the shock energy.]_

 **Steven** : Or the Garnet's Gauntlets!

 _[He hauls back and smacks Evil!Steven causing a energy wave sending Dark Steven Universe crashing through an oil truck with the punch. Evil!Steven looks around for a second nervously while Steven is in the air denoting the Gauntlets and firing them at Dark Steven and then the whole thing goes up in a blue blast. In the air, Steven shields his face. As the explosion subsides to blue flame, he lands and begins to walk away. Behind him, a furious Evil!Steve emerges from the flame (eyes dilating in that snake like fashion again and becomes engulfed in red rage energy flames. He rips off pieces of the whip. Everyone tied to the tanks tried to warned Steven but it's to no avail. Dark Steven grabs his younger self by the arm with a still-burning hand, burning him, Steven cries in pain as he's being thrown to the ground.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Your time is up, Steven. _[copying himself into fives, the copies speaking together]_ It's been up for 12 years.

 _[They all toss him into the air. Steven tries to hover but one copy punches Steven square in the face, The second kicks him square in the face, The third elbows him in the chest, The fourth knees him in the back, Good!, and All five copies at once blasted Steven with a dark red energy beam. Steven falls smoking to the ground, all cut up, bruised, and burned, with his clothes full of rips and Evil!Steve's copies reunite.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : What makes you think you can change my past?

 **Steven** : _[getting to all fours and glaring up]_ Because I promised my family!

 **Evil!Steve** : _[laughing]_ Oh, you are such a child! You _promised_?

 **Steven** : Yes! I PROMISED!

 _[He stands and the word turns to a Soul Wail, sending Evil!Steve flying and digging up a divot in the street.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : That power, ugh, it's not possible! I don't get that power until twelve years from now!

 **Steven** : _[landing but stumbling due to his injured back and summons a giant spike bubble]_ I guess the future isn't as set in stone as you think it is.

 _[He does another Soul Wail sending the spike bubble in Evil!Steve's direction, the bubble hits him and sends him flying again; the wail breaks out windows and blows him through a doorway, then bubble explodes from the impact sending Evil!Steven crashing into a building and a big 18 wheeler crashes into the building as well causing the building to fall on top of him. Completely exhausted,_ Steven _drops to his knees…_

 _A fist rises from the rubble pile, and Steven looks up and gasps. Evil!Steven bursts from the wreckage, bruised up, flames dying, and uniform ripped.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : Well, that's it, isn't it?

 **Steven** : _[eyes narrowing]_ Time's up! _[He sucks Dark Steven into a bubble.]_

 **Evil!Steve** : To weak to escape - and you're too late to save them! [Evil!Steven slowly reverts into his gem]

 **Steven** : _[Successfully traps him into the bubble and makes it a bubblegum color (meaning it's a stronger bubble) and before he sends it off he looks over his shoulder]_ Oh no.

 _[The bomb is beginning to shake and is beeping even louder. The heat indicator on the Fry Sauce Tank is now all the way over in the red. The glass over it cracks then shatters. The crackling, rumbling, leaking tanks hiss with steam. Steven runs toward the Fry Shack, trying to form a giant bubble, but it fizzles.]_

 **Steven** : I'm out of power! _[he trips on a rock and falls flat on his front]_ Noo!

 _[He and his loved ones stare at each other for an instant with tears just pouring from each others eyes, and then the Fry Shack along with the bomb blows up causing a gigantic explosion. The explosion reflects in Steven's eyes right before the shockwave sends him flying with the dust and rubble; then everything freezes. A clock hand traces out a bluewhite circle, which resolves into child!MadamTime. Smiling, she flies up to Steven and drops a time medallion around his neck. Steven gasps and tries to gain his balance where he floats in midair without falling, then notices MadamTime.]_

 **Steven** : MadamTime?

 _[MadamTime points past Steven, and he looks, then gasps happily. All of his loved ones are floating, unharmed and asleep, in a nimbus of blue light.]_

 **Steven** : You saved them? I-I don't understand!

 **MadamTime** : _[switching to adult form]_ The Observants look at time like they're watching a parade, one thing after another passing by in sequence right in front of them. _[she gestures down at the wrecked Fry Shack]_ I see the parade from above, all the twists and turns it might _[switches to old form]_ or might not take. _[she winks]_

 **Steven** : You knew all this was going to happen. All of it! [they swoop down to the rescued people] Even this part.

 **MadamTime** : Everything's the way it's supposed to be. And here we are with you, a fourteen-year-old child, risking everything to save the people you care about.

 _[Steven smiles at her.]_

 **MadamTime** : _[pressing the button on her Time Staff]_ Time in!

 _[They are surrounded for a moment by ticking clocks, then reappear at the beach, where the blueprints are lying on the ground, frozen in time. MadamTime picks up the blueprints from the ground.]_

 **MadamTime** : You've given everyone else in your life a second chance. _[She switches to child form]_ Why not you? _[She hands him the blueprints.]_

 _[Steven takes it and MadamTime vanishes. Everything else starts to move again. Steven makes his way to City Hall. Peridot and Lapis watches him as their flying by. Connie sees him also and follows him sword ready.]_

[Steven enters the mayor's office.]

 **Mayor** : Steven, what brings you here?

 **Steven** : Um, actually Mr. Mayor, there is.

 _[Outside of the mayor's window, Connie sneaks up to the door with the sword. Looking in the window, she gasps. Steven approaches the mayor's desk.]_

 **Steven** : I, uh, found this the other day. Outside the Fry Shack. _[he slides the blueprints across the desk.]_

 **Mayor** : W-what I didn't even realize I lost this. _[picking it up]_ Hm. It looks a little worn.

 **Steven** : Yeah. I know. A-and, I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself from looking inside. But I'm not a thief! And I never will be!

 _[Outside the door, Connie smiles.]_

 **Mayor** : Well, when the investigation is all over we'll either dispose of this or put it on display.

 **Steven** : Really, I'm not going away to prison?!

 **Mayor** : No son.[Laughing] The important thing is that you brought back, Thank You Steven.

 _[Connie yelps and ducks away.]_

 _[Back at the temple Steven is on the deck watching the ocean. The crystal gems along with Connie who come and join him.]_

 **Pearl** : Steven we're really proud of you for not building the bomb.

 **Steven** : How did you guys know?

 **Garnet** : Future Vision.

 **Amethyst** : Plus Pearl who told me and Garnet.

 **Steven** : Ha oh.

 **Garnet** : Steven, you've been making so much progress overtime, your becoming stronger and more like your mother each and everyday.

 **Steven** : [Tearing up] Thanks guys.

 _[They all hug.]_

 **Amethyst** : Don't think this means we'll stop being overprotective of you.

 **Steven** : _[chuckling]_ I wouldn't have it any other way.

 _[A couple blocks away from the Temple, sirens sound. A giant corrupted monster chases a cop car past the Temple as the gems and Connie watch.]_

 **Connie** : Go Steven. _[She puts her hand on his shoulder and they smile.]_

 **Steven** : _[Running over, leaping in front of the monster and confronting it]_ Hey! Guess who's back and better than ever!

 _[The corrupted monster makes a worried sound. Steven summons his shield in one hand, hauls back with the other and punches the monster, proofing the monster in the process and causing its gem to fly in Garnet's hand.]_

 **Garnet** : _[Holding up the gem and smiling with proudness]_ That's our Steven.

 _[Zooming out to see her in MadamTime's viewer. child!MadamTime watches, smiling, with the pink bubblegum colored bubble in one hand. The Observants stand with their hands clasped behind her.]_

 **Observant1** : You manipulated the boy! You influenced his choice!

 **Observant2** : That's a direct violation of the Protocol of Temporal Displacement! In other words,

 **Both Observants** : You cheated!

 **MadamTime** : True, I cheated. _[switching to adult form]_ But I assure you his choice was his own.

 **Observant1** : You realize the boy is your responsibility now.

 **Observant2** : As is his evil self, now that he exists outside of time.

 **MadamTime** : I know. But then, I know everything.

 _[Flying past the Observants through a door, she tosses the bubble up to the ceiling. Right after she leaves, it bulges out on the sides as though something is bouncing around and punching, then Evil!Steve's face prints on the front of the bubble, his laughter echoing.]_

 **THE END**


	6. Background

Throughout the series, I've always rooted for an episode where Steven turns evil. But since I highly doubt that's gonna happen, I have an epic and edgy story of the idea. Steven's Greatest Enemy will actually turn out to be himself. An older version of Steven who is a rogue fusion spirit between Steven and Jasper named Dark Steven! Dark Steven is the exact opposite of Steven only 10x worst he's Steven 12 years into the future. He's a mature dark green lean but very muscular figure with red eyes, sharp fangs, black highlight under his eyes, a white goatee, long flowing flaming white hair (very similar to saiyan fashion) and a long ponytail, he wears a black jumpsuit with green gloves and boots, the star symbol on his chest is now green and his gem is also green only darker, along with a black cape with green interior and a deep menacing voice. Dark Steven is the most powerful and evil fusion in the series, he's more powerful than Malachite, more lethal than the Diamonds, and more sinister and ruthless than all of Steven and the crystal gem's enemies combined.

Unlike most of the villains in the series who have to some degree a moral conscience, Dark Steven possesses no such trait. Being pure evil and craves for destruction and chaos. He is effectively Steven's most Dangerous enemy, and is more than willing to kill to get what he wants, even if it is the people he once cared about. He seems almost eager to engage in bloodshed.

His personality is sadistic, cruel, and heartless, this personality shift stems in part from the fact that Jasper's evil self completely destroyed whatever good might have been left inside him after the fusion. In addition, he will do anything in his power in order to exist. He is also arrogant and cocky, as well as plotting and scheming. He can accurately be described as sociopathic, having no regard for anyone or anything, even his friends and family in his past. Among the traits he retained from his youth, there are his penchant for banter and hands on approach to conflict, He also enjoyed emotionally torturing his past crystal gem guardians, mocking them for being unable to accept him for being half human, blatantly enjoying their horror and misery.

Dark Steven can also doubtlessly be described as a mass-murderer, as evidenced by his rampages across the planet and space leaving large swaths of Earth and Homeworld desolate and barren and likely having astronomical casualty rates for each rampage.


End file.
